Made Great Time—In the Wrong Direction

I’ve asked hundreds of people this question: What does the favor of God look like in your life?

And you know what I’ve discovered? Most don’t answer with a personal story. Instead, they point to someone else—describing what they think God’s favor looks like in another person.

But favor is not a one-size-fits-all blanket. It’s personal. It’s unique. And if you don’t learn to recognize it in your own life, you risk living in frustration, jealousy, or even hopelessness.

The psalmist prayed:

“You are our strength, O God. Our power is based on your favor.” (Psalm 89:17)

“Send me a sign of your favor.” (Psalm 86:17)

God’s favor isn’t just an abstract idea—it shows up as a sign, a marker, letting you know you’re on the right road.

I’ll never forget one Sunday morning while living in High Wycombe, England. My family piled into the car and headed down the motorway. For us, this was normal—early mornings, long drives, and a new church to minister in nearly every week.

That day, traffic was light and I thought to myself, We’re making great time. Then a little voice came from the back seat.

“Daddy, where are we going today?” Bethany asked.

“To South Wales,” I replied confidently.

A few minutes later, she spoke again. “Daddy, I don’t remember this being the way to Wales.”

I chuckled. “Baby, you just relax and leave the driving to Daddy.”

But Bethany wasn’t done. “Why are there no road signs for South Wales? Every sign says Oxford. Isn’t Oxford the wrong way?”

At that moment, Tammy opened one eye from her nap, smiled, and said, “That’s my girl.”

And just like that, it hit me: I was making great time… going in the wrong direction.

The highway department puts up signs so you’ll know you’re headed the right way. God does the same thing. He calls it favor.

As I studied Scripture, one truth became crystal clear—God’s favor never looks exactly the same on any two people.

   •   On Noah, favor saved his family from the flood.

   •   On Abraham and Sarah, it produced a son at 100 and 90 years old.

   •   On Joseph, it carried him from a pit to a palace.

   •   On Moses, it made him a deliverer.

   •   On Samuel, it made him a prophet.

   •   On David, it made him a king.

   •   On Esther, it crowned her a queen and saved her people.

   •   On Daniel, it lifted him from the lions’ den to the second-highest position in the kingdom.

   •   On Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, it turned a fiery furnace into a testimony of God’s power.

Favor looks different on everyone. Just like fingerprints and DNA, God’s favor is uniquely stamped on your life.

For years, I wrestled with this. Growing up in a pastor’s home, I was around ministers all the time. And the prophets? They were my heroes. 

As a young man, I longed to prophesy. Scripture even said to “desire the best gifts,” and to me, prophecy was the best. Yet, despite my passion, doors never opened in that area. And honestly, it left me frustrated. I thought, Why won’t God let me do what’s in my heart?

Then something unexpected happened. In the UK, five pastors asked Tammy and me to mentor them. Then a hundred more. Within a year, it doubled again. Before long, we were mentoring leaders across the nation.

That’s when it clicked: I had been chasing a road with no signs of God’s favor. The prophetic gift wasn’t where His favor rested on me. But mentoring leaders? Multiplying pastors? That’s where the signs were everywhere.

I’ll never forget when a major American ministry called me in the UK. They said, “We’ve been trying for years to establish ourselves here with little success. We’ve poured in more money in one year than you’ve probably made in five, and yet nothing seems to work. But you—you’ve grown faster than we can explain. How is this possible?”

I smiled and gave them the only answer I knew: “It’s called the favor of God.”

Favor can’t be manufactured. It can’t be bought. It can’t be copied. But when you recognize it, lean into it, and flow with it, doors open that no man can shut.

So let me ask you: Are you making great time, but in the wrong direction? Are you chasing what looks like favor on someone else’s life, while ignoring the signs God is placing on your own path?

The truth is, God’s favor on your life might not look like mine—or anyone else’s. It may not even look like what you wanted. But it will be the very thing He designed you to carry.

Don’t miss it. Don’t dismiss it. And don’t envy someone else’s lane.

Because the favor of God is not about position—it’s about purpose. And His favor on your life is the greatest sign that you’re headed in the right direction.